The present invention relates in general to windmills, and in particular to windmills which may be attached to vehicles in order to impart mechanical movement to a display item.
1. Field of the Invention
While the invention is subject to a wide range of applications, it is especially suitable for use on an apparatus where the display item is, for example, a mascot or insignia of a sport team, and will be particularly described in that context. The invention also relates to a method of supporting a team, entity, or organization by placing a windmill or similar wind driven device with a movable representation of a team mascot or team insignia on a vehicle and driving the vehicle so to impart movement to the team mascot or team insignia.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The general use of stationary windmills to impart mechanical movements is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,057 to Scoft; U.S. Design Patent No. 73,056 to Scoft; and U.S. Pat. No. 154,014 to Briedy all show windmills which use the force of wind to turn a propeller which imparts rotary force to a crank thus imparting reciprocating movement to the display item.
In such windmills, significant forces can be imparted on the display item if the wind becomes powerful. In such a scenario, the display item may be reciprocated at a very high speed, thus subjecting the display item and any linkages there between to large amounts of force and shock. This can lead to accelerated wear and tear on the apparatus, or to immediate breakage and failure.